A Pole Position to Remember
Ross Chastain delivered a masterclass in precision, posting a 48.808‑second lap that earned him the top spot on the grid for the season‑ending race at Daytona International Speedway. The effort marked a record for the event and placed him ahead of a tightly contested field.
Beside him on the front row, Chris Buescher will start second after a qualifying run that fell just five‑hundredths of a second short of Chastain’s benchmark. The duo will lead a grid that includes Austin Hill in third, with Ryan Preece and Riley Herbst rounding out the top five.
The top ten also features road‑course standout Shane van Gisbergen, Connor Zilisch, Austin Cindric, Joey Logano and Kyle Larson, underscoring the breadth of talent still in contention. Trackhouse Racing’s lineup, highlighted by van Gisbergen and Zilisch, occupied three of the top seven positions, reflecting the team’s growing competitiveness.
A notable shift this year is the playoff format, which no longer guarantees a postseason berth to race winners. Instead, drivers are now pushed to accumulate points throughout the season, making each stage of the schedule critical for those eyeing the final Chase spots.
Bubba Wallace, Cindric, van Gisbergen, Preece and Brad Keselowski are among those battling for the last three Chase positions, with van Gisbergen currently leading Preece by 31 points. For Chastain, the pole is more than a statistical achievement; it serves as a launchpad toward the final stretch of the Cup Series and the upcoming 2027 season, which will begin again at Daytona in February.